Hornby 2021 - Ruston & Hornsby 88DS

[AY Mod]

 

Ruston & Hornsby Ltd, of Lincoln, was formed as the result of the merger between Ruston, Proctor & Co. Ltd and Richard Hornsby & Sons Ltd on September 11, 1918 and their first narrow gauge diesel locomotive left the works on September 1, 1931. In the summer of 1932, production was moved to the larger Boultham Works, where the firm were eventually to become Britain’s largest builder of diesel locomotives, with over 6,500 being built by the time production ceased in 1969.

Almost as soon as the firm’s 44/48HP 0-4-0 locomotives were making an appearance, an upgraded, more powerful 0-4-0 was on the drawing board. Although many of the features of the 44/48HP were retained for the new 80/88HP, such as the chain drive and running gear, a new type of transmission was fitted, along with Westinghouse airbrakes. The new power unit, Ruston’s own 4VPB, delivered 80BHP at 1000rpm and was later supplanted by Ruston’s improved 4VPH that delivered 88BHP, but it required compressed air to be injected into the cylinders to be able to start. While running, an air reservoir was kept charged via the braking system, but after standing idle for a period the reservoir depleted and a secondary source was required to recharge the reservoir. This was achieved by fitting a small, secondary 1½HP ‘donkey’ engine, giving rise to a distinctive raised cover on the right hand side of the engine compartment that differed in size and placement depending on the make of engine used.

Two basic weight options were offered for the 80/88HP, of 17 tons and 20 tons, the difference being achieved by attaching weights to the outside frames, as well as to the front and rear buffer beams. In 1941, Ruston’s locomotive classifications were changed, with the 80/88HP becoming 88DS (with the narrow gauge versions being assigned the DSM and DSN suffix, and the broader gauges assigned DSW). Outward appearance changes to the ‘standard’ locomotives were mainly confined to the cab area, with examples from mid-1947 replacing the open cab with a fully enclosed cab that featured several ad-hoc styles of front window. The final 88DS, 518494, left Boultham Works on 29 November 1967, bringing to an end a production run of 271 locomotives.

Ruston 421415 was built new for the North British Distillery Co. Ltd, being delivered in March 1958 to their distillery in the Gorgie district of Edinburgh, around the period when the distillery was expanding to include the former Edinburgh Corporation Tramways depot. In 1973, the locomotive was donated to the fledgling Fife Railway Preservation Group, who located it at the Lochty Private Railway until it’s demise in 1994. 421415, now numbered NBD No. 4, has now been restored and wears the livery of the North British Railway.

 

 

Ruston 441934 was built new for Rowntree & Co. Ltd of York, being delivered in April 1960 to join R&H 421419/1958 and 432479/1959 in the confectionery company’s fleet of locomotives as No. 3. In 1979, the York factory bought a new 0-6-0 locomotive and No.3 was transferred to Rowntree’s Fawdon factory in Newcastle. Rail services at Fawdon came to a halt on 30 January 1987, with No. 3 being handed over to the North York Moors Railway for preservation. After some years being moved about it was purchased in 2013 by two members of the Derwent Valley Light Railway, Glynnis and Tony Frith. 441934 has now been named Ken Cooke, in honour of the former Rowntree’s York employee, D-Day veteran and holder of France’s highest military honour, the Legion d’Honneur. 
 

 

Ruston 432478 was built new for British Railways, being delivered in January 1959 to the North Eastern Region Civil Engineers Department at the Leeman Road Permanent Way Stockyard in York, one of six Ruston & Hornsby 88DS locomotives built for British Railways which were distributed between York, Dinsdale Depot, Etherley Tip, Crofton, Hartlepool and Darlington. As well as working shunting duties at Leeman Road, 432478 also worked at the York Central Concrete Depot, which is now the site of the Railway Museum’s main visitor car park. 
 

 

-Ruston 408493 was built new for British Railways Western Region, for use at the Signalling & Telecommunications Department workshops at Reading and was delivered in January 1957. Taking the Departmental number 20, the locomotive spent its entire lifetime at Reading, housed under the Vastern Road bridge when not in use. Renumbered in 1973 under TOPS, to 97020, withdrawal came in April 1981 and it was disposed of at Reading by Cartrights of Tipton in August 1982, being replaced by a Barclay Class 06 No. 06003, which was transferred to Reading from the Scottish Region.

[Captain Kernow]

Superb!

 

[97403_Ixion]

Excellent - Reading Signal Works shunter

 

Great that Hornby have addressed a selection of minor locos (both diesel and steam) over the last few years.  Good for smaller layouts and introducing people to the hobby!

[MattA]

Definitely the new tooling that has me most interested this year!

[Neil]

Oh dear, which of the York pair do I choose?

[Darius43]

11 minutes ago, Neil said:

Oh dear, which of the York pair do I choose?

 

Only one answer - both!!!

 

Cheers

 

Darius

[RichardT]

I said on the 2021 wish list thread that, as an N modeller, Hornby were irrelevant to me. However, as a Yorkie, an ex-Rowntree and ex-NRM employee, and someone whose dad worked for BR(NE) - I’m having both of those York ones, and I’ll just have to put up a display shelf...

[clarkea1]

Excellent to see this! Hopefully the conversion to wider gauges will be as straightforward as the 48DS was.

 

Alastair

 

[Ruston]

I've known about this one for about 18 months. It's great news but I am a little underwhelmed by the choice of liveries.

[Mark Dickerson]

I hazarded a Ruston on the "hopes" thread on the basis of the two sizes of Peckett, but thought the Kernow/Heljan PWM shunters might make this less likely. Excellent news. No linked wagon, so I wonder if there will be a flywheel in the mechanism.

 

As to liveries, I have to admit that I was looking for the BR Green one when I saw the announcement, but yes, I suppose 50% "mainline" liveries might be seen as a little safe. That said, I could almost see the Rail Blue in a train set as latter-day GW 101...

[PhilJ W]

There's a surprise. Probably more livery applications than the 44DS as well.

[brianthesnail96]

30 minutes ago, Ruston said:

I've known about this one for about 18 months. It's great news but I am a little underwhelmed by the choice of liveries.

 

I assume you were consulted on this one too? 

 

Plenty of nice industrial liveries to come in the following years I'm sure, and at least this stops the big railway types moaning too much 

[Ben B]

I believe the saying is "shut up and take my money!"

 

Easily my favourite industrial diesel. Really looking forward to these

[46444]

Brilliant announcement and a nice complement to the other industrials in the range. 

 

There's a track plan by Paul Lunn in this month's Model Rail covering the Rowntree Branch and a photo of No:3 on the Derwent Valley Light Railway. 

 

Decisions, decisions with regards to which one to order... 

[Ben B]

58 minutes ago, Mark Dickerson said:

That said, I could almost see the Rail Blue in a train set as latter-day GW 101...

 

That would be great- an 88 with either a single mk.one, or a 4wheel coach and standard brake van, for a smaller preserved line atmosphere

[Mr chapman]

If these don't come with the runner wagon I wonder if they have the socket? 

[64F]

1 hour ago, Ruston said:

I've known about this one for about 18 months. It's great news but I am a little underwhelmed by the choice of liveries.

Manufacturers seem to like preserved liveries for industrial engines, which personally isn't my thing either but presumably they think that pretty liveries will sell, and doubtless they are easy to research.  However I do find it odd that they print the preservation-era names of examples which are preserved in their working-era liveries - they could surely supply the name as a transfer so as to allow modellers to choose whether to apply them or not.  The Oxford Rail NCB Janus was another example of that.  No doubt the BR examples will sell like hot cakes though.

[HonestTom]

Unfortunately none of the liveries are really suitable for me, but this is a very welcome addition to the stable of industrials. Maybe I'll wind up buying one and pretending it's just been acquired from elsewhere.

[Tim Hall]

I'll be ordering a Ken Cooke once Derails website has calmed down a bit.

 

Having driven it on the Derwent Valley a couple of years ago, I have to, don't I  ?

[Flying Pig]

1 hour ago, 64F said:

However I do find it odd that they print the preservation-era names of examples which are preserved in their working-era liveries - they could surely supply the name as a transfer so as to allow modellers to choose whether to apply them or not.

 

Given the particulars of Ken Cooke, I doubt that printing the name will harm sales even if it isn't quite accurate for the livery.  And a lot of purchasers prefer not to have to add details.

 

A nice addition to Hornby's industrial range, if not particularly surprising.

[doctor quinn]

Just going to put this here 

 

 

Edited January 5, 2021 by doctor quinn
Add pic

[MGR Hooper!]

I'm quite thrilled with this announcement. The North British Distillery Co. R&H 88DS has an eye-catching livery.

[Banger Blue]

BR Blue No20 on preorder purely as a “just because I can” item and I happen to work at Reading.

[NHY 581]

1 hour ago, doctor quinn said:

Just going to put this here 

 

 

 

That's sweet. 

 

Rob. 

[Mick Bonwick]

1 minute ago, NHY 581 said:

 

That's sweet. 

 

Rob. 

 

Steady, lad!